In this insightful episode, Buck Joffrey speaks with Professor S. Jay Olshansky, a leading expert in biodemography and public health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The discussion explores the realistic limits of human life expectancy, the economic and public health implications of slowing aging, and the role of technology and biomarkers in predicting longevity.

Key Points:

Aging interventions may unlock greater public health and economic rewards than curing individual diseases. While breakthroughs are on the horizon, equitable access and realistic expectations remain key challenges.

• The Longevity Dividend Concept: Olshansky argues that slowing the biological aging process offers far greater health and economic benefits than treating individual diseases. A modest delay in aging could yield societal "dividends" such as extended healthspan, reduced frailty, and economic gains.
• Realistic Limits of Life Expectancy: Based on decades of demographic research, Olshansky estimates the natural ceiling of human life expectancy is around 85–90 years, even with major disease eradication. He criticizes unscientific claims of lifespans reaching 150 or more.
• Paradigm Shift in Public Health: He advocates for a foundational shift from disease-specific interventions to those that modulate the aging process itself—slowing biological time to help people stay biologically younger as they age.
• Predicting Longevity Through Biomarkers and Facial Analytics: Olshansky discusses how facial appearance can serve as a proxy for biological age, with individuals who "look younger" often living longer. He emphasizes the need for more personalized, data-driven lifespan estimates in healthcare and financial planning.
• Equity and Ethics of Aging Interventions: As gerotherapeutics advance, Olshansky warns of potential inequities in access. He stresses that while distribution may be unequal at first, the science must not be delayed—ultimately, broad accessibility should be the goal.